–Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA):

• Government Intervention On The Issue of Insecurity
• Conversion Of Ozoro Polytechnic To A Federal Polytechnic
• Inclusion Of Isoko Youths In The Non-Violent Phase Of The Amnesty Programme
• Call For The Sack Of NDDC Sole Administrator…
• Threatens To Shutdown Oil And Gas Facilities in Isokoland

OZORO: The youths of the Isoko Ethnic Nationality under the auspices of the Isoko National Youth Assembly (INYA) Worldwide have again risen to the occasion by making strong demands from and calling on both the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Delta State Government to urgently intervene on pressing issues in Isokoland without further delay.

The President of INYA, Comrade Amos Ogbokor-Etaluku, who read out the demands at a World Press Briefing held at the Secretariat of the Assembly in Ozoro on Friday, January 15, 2021 said should governments pay deaf ears by refusing to protect lives and properties and fulfilling their demands they would completely shut down all oil and gas facilities in Isokoland.

Part of the text of the speech read:

A CLARION CALL ON THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERMENT’S TO INTERVENE IN PRESSING ISSUES IN ISOKO LAND BY THE ISOKO NATIONAL YOUTH ASSEMBLY (INYA)

As the apex youth body in Isoko nation, we hereby call on both the state and federal Governments to as a matter of urgency intervene in pressing issues confronting our people bordering on security, policy, socio-economic and environmental justice.

Decisive Intervention of Government in the issue of Insecurity in Isoko

It is no news that parts of Isoko nation are engulfed in intercommunal bloodletting and wanton destruction of properties which have disrupted the peaceful coexistence and movement of persons in Isoko land. What is most disheartening is the government’s apathy and aloofness towards these crises. This is totally unacceptable. We are calling on government’s immediate intervention by sending military presence to the concerned communities and to put conflict resolution mechanism in place for the people to have conciliatory meetings towards amicably resolutions of the various needless fracases.

We all are aware of miltary presence around oil facilities in Isoko land. The government cannot continually keep military men in watch over oil facilities for their economic gains and yet but do nothing about the lives and valuable properties of our people.

Should Government continue to refuse to protect the lives and properties of the Isoko people which is her primary objective and responsibility, we will have no choice than to shut down all oil facilities in Isoko land.

Sack of the Sole Administrator and Constitution of a Substantive Board

The criticality of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the development of the Niger Delta cannot be overemphasized. Federal Government’s refusal to constitute a substantive board for agenda setting and development of the region, is politics taken too far. The continous appointment of Interim Committees and now Sole Administrator for the Commission is illegal and regrettably contravenes the Law seeting up the Commission.

We therefore call for the immediate sack of the Sole Administrator of the NDDC. We demand that a substantive board and management team be inaugurated for the Commission inline with Laws of the Commission.

Conversion of Ozoro Polytechnic to a Federal Polytechnic

Over the years, federal presence has not been felt in the Isoko nation despite the fact that we are a major oil producing nation. One of the ways the government can remediate the wrongs that have been done to our people is to convert the state Polytechnic in Ozoro to a federal one. The time has come for us to take our destiny in our hands if the government does not take steps for us to make our people feel its presence. We are however, starting with this call.

We demand the establishment of a Federal Medical Center to cater for the health of Isoko people that has been gruesomely injuried by over six decades of consistent oil exploration, gas flaring and pollution.

Inclusion of Isoko Youths in the Non-Violent Phase of the Amnesty Program

The Amnesty Program initiated by President Musa Yar’dua in 2009, over ten years ago, has resulted in the massive empowerment of countless number of youths of other nations in the Niger Delta except Isoko youths. We see this as grossly discriminatory. As the amnesty program reaches what has been called the “non-violent stage”, we cannot fold our hands any longer and watch other nations benefit and not have our people included in the program. We are by this statement giving an eviction notice to all oil companies in Isoko land if our youths are not included in the program. The federal government should please take note.

Appointment of Qualified Isoko sons and daughters by the Federal Government:

We note with extreme sadness that not one Isoko son or daughter has been appointed into the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government despite our huge contribution to the economy of the nation and the avalanche of qualified Isoko sons and daughters in the various fields of knowledge. This is inspite of the promise by the President to correct this monumental discrimination when the Isoko people visited the Villa in 2018

We hereby call on the President to live true to his promise now and now as time is of essence.

Stabilization of Electricity in Isoko Land by Oil Companies:

One area our people have suffered is electrification. As part of their corporate social responsibility to us as their hosts, we are tasking the oil companies to collaborate and deploy technologies towards lighting Isoko nation by building Gas Turbines from the gas deposit in Isoko land instead of flaring same and polluting the environment. We will not tolerate any form of environmental degradation as a result of gas flaring anymore when the gas can be converted to electricity for our people.

Speedy Completion of All Projects in DELSU, Oleh Campus:
The snail pace in which infrastructure in Delta State University, Oleh Campus is moving is worrisome. This is indicative of the lack of empathy and commitment of the government to the Isoko course. We will not hesitate to seal off entry points to Isoko nation if the situation persists.

As youths, we are ready to work with the government to accelerate development in our land. On the other hand, we will not tolerate the lingering injustice to our people any further.

Thank you!